9. 5. 2012 Rare binoculars made of bones

Two telescopes made of bones were discovered nine years ago in Amsterdam during the reconstruction of toilets. They date from the eighteenth century and the longer of the two measures about fourteen centimetres.

It is made of cow bone and consists of two parts held together by a screw thread. In the period known as the Enlightenment, telescopes were considered a luxury item. They were probably used to observe objects on land or sea rather than to look at the stars.

In addition to the two telescopes, archaeologists have three other similar examples found at different time periods. But what they all have in common is that they were made at a time when Amsterdam was a thriving commercial centre that attracted talented craftsmen.

They range in length from eight to 14 centimetres. They were made from the metatarsal bone of cattle. "This particular cow bone is quite flat and round, which is just right for making telescopes," stated Marloes Rijkelijkhuizen of the Amsterdam Archaeological Centre.

We also wrote about the telescopes here:
https://www.lovecpokladu.cz/home/archeologicke-zpravy-1-4-30-4-nejen-pro-hledace-s-detektory-kovu-5624

The longest telescope found even has both lenses preserved. Inside it has an insert with a small hole, which probably acted as a screen. This detailed telescope with intact lens was found in a cesspit that was used as a toilet in the eighteenth century.

Because of the workmanship, experts believe that this telescope may have been used as opera "glasses" worn by wealthy people to the theatre to get a better view of what was happening on stage. Another theory is that the telescope was owned by someone who travelled by sea.

Marloes Rijkelijkhuizen examined all five telescopes. The first three were found while she was working on her thesis. "The telescopes were dug up at different times. At first I thought they were some skeletal artefacts. Only later did they turn out to be telescopes. In the beginning, I really had no idea what they were," the scientist said nine years ago.

She has not been able to find out where the first three telescopes were found. The other two were in a cesspit. "Apart from being used as a toilet, it was also a garbage dump. How the binoculars got there and why the owners threw them away is hard to know," Marloes Rijkelijkhuizen noted.

Sources: www.livescience.com